[hider=Yngvarian Confederacy][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/385299898595147786/388443225951698964/Yngvar_1s.png[/img][h1][b]Yngvarian Confederacy[/b][/h1][/center]

[h3]Overview[/h3]Yngvar is the homeland of dwarves, bordering multiple nations and close to the major trade routes. They are known for their unique culture, skilled craftsmanship and mercenaries. The nation is generally referred as Yngvar but alternatives include: Yngvarseidgenossenschaft (semi-official), Eidgenossenschaft, Zwölfberge, Yngvarsland, Free Cities, Dwarvish Hills, etc...

[h3]Geography[/h3][hider=World Map]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/385299898595147786/388364165712183298/cheat_sheet_5.png[/img]
[/hider]Yngvar is both the name of the land and the unique chain of mountains populating it. There are twelve major mountains with a large city-state each. Due to their government structure Yngvarians don't have a capital, in theory all 12 cities are equal.

[h3]Culture[/h3]Yngvar in archaic dwarvish means "protected by Yngvi" and this is more than just a name for the inhabitants. Yngvar mountains are considered sacred to dwarves and while they are open to visitors they are far less willing to let them stay. As such Yngvar's population is predominantly dwarvish. Yngvi itself is an entity considered the creator of the dwarves, some consider it a Primordial others as something else. Some even connect Yngvi with the Serene One. Yngvi is the great ancestor and teacher of dwarves, universally respected by them. Dwarvish relationship with other faiths is somewhat strange, while they don't belong to either Argenism or the Serene Church they can respect them. In return dwarves are left alone with their faith which can be best described as ancestor worship while mixing elements from other faiths. What elements? It depends on the dwarf you ask, they tend to shape their beliefs to whichever large religion they're the closest. This does not harm dwarvish faith and also allow them to easily integrate with other cultures. Aside from religion dwarves are also well-known for their work moral and practical thinking. They are diligent craftsmen famous for their skills. They are also somewhat distant with other races, always keeping them at arms length. Another weird custom and show of their craftsmanship is that they wear armor. Every adult dwarf, be male or female are mandated to wear at least a maile shirt outside. Some cities' customs even mandate helmets or a full hauberk. Due to their robust build this does not bother a walk during their daily life and keeps reminding outsiders to tread carefully with them. This also gave dwarves an interesting nickname: Ironskins.
[hider=Zweorg - Dwarves]Dwarves are short (at average 4 feet tall) but robust humanoids known to be great workers and craftsmen. Their proportional strength is twice that of humans (but evens up in a brawl due to size difference) and their bodies are denser and overall tougher. Dwarves prefer to live in caves and have decent senses underground. At average a dwarf shows aging after 100 years and can live up to 150 years. They are also extremely resilient to temperature differences and disease. Their drawbacks are their short stature which also make them slower runners (though they can jump well) and their dense bodies sink almost like a rock in water thus dwarves almost never learn how to swim. They also have poor long distance vision compared to humans,albeit they can almost see in the dark which make them more comfortable to find their way through caves.  Dwarven pregnancy lasts for 4 years and during that women aren't any less capable of work. Consequently, dwarvish culture rarely differentiates between the jobs of men and women, thus you could find female laborers and soldiers almost as often as men. Pregnancy is followed by 10 years of infertility, though which might be partially responsible for the low birth rates among dwarves. Combined with their longevity this evens out but dwarves in general think differently about time.
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/385299898595147786/388370197674721291/Dwarf_comparison.jpg[/img]
[/hider]
[h3]Government[/h3]
Yngvar is ruled by twelve clans centered around a mountain each. These mountain city states are completely autonomous and at best can be only considered to be in alliance with each other, though some likes to call it a non-aggression pact. All leaders are tied by blood oath to not turn their arms against each other. They regularly hold the Twelve Chairs council, where the 12 Dwarven Lords sit at round table and discuss matters that involve entire Yngvar. Number of laws are laid down in the past that apply to all clans equally and they have certain obligations to defend each other. Aside from that all Clans are free to do whatever they want.

[h3]Military[/h3]
Dwarves beleive in individual powers and that no self-respective adult member should be unable to defend themselves. All dwarves above a certain age know how to fight while wearing armor and weapons, often their own craftsmanship or family heirloom. For this reason other nations often dub the dwarves as Ironskins because they nearly always coat themselves in metal armors. In times of need citizens band together to defend their home. In addition to that there are dwarves who dedicated themselves to military service, either as watchmen and police force known as the Shieldbearers or to become full-blown mercenary. The latter often become travelers going from country-to-country until they return and settle down in their Clan as combat instructors and military leaders. As such dwarvish military are often a mix of eager volunteer militia, town watch and professional mercenaries.
[hider=Bolter]Bultzer or Bolzer is a Yngvarian weapon similar to crossbows. Instead of a bow they rely on torsion or coil springs to launch bolts at a distance. The name "Bolter" is a mistranslation, the original word actually just means "thrower" in archaic Dwarvish. Bolters are narrower than crossbows which makes them less unwieldy in dwarvish hands. There are countless variants and working mechanisms depending on personal needs. A typical bolter design for example uses a long coil spring which can be pulled back in a pumping action without taking your eyes off the target. Such weapons are mostly for self defense, their bolts can only penetrate maille with gambeson  padding at short ranges. Other variants sacrifice speed and comfort for more power. There are two-handed pull, lever action (akin to goat's foot), windlass, cranequin and even more diverse variants. Heavy Bolter is a term almost synonymous with heavy crossbows and often used very similarly in combat. Mastercrafted Bolters often replace the steel spring with mithril, such gadgets are called Thundercoils for their speed and noise compared to regular coil springs. Bolters are also not exclusive to handheld weapons, dwarven siege engines also make various siege weapons. While Bolter technology is mostly by Yngvarians and many craftsmen are reluctant to share their art with outsiders, these weapons are still occasionally made and sold for other countries.
[/hider]


[h3]Characters[/h3]
TBA

[h3]Relations[/h3]Yngvar generally has good relations with its neighbors but only while keeping them at arms length. Dwarves travel a lot and known through the continent and while Wotanism isn't quite celebrated, both Argenist and Selenist faiths mostly tolerate it. That being said Yngvarian culture is exclusive to dwarves and other nationalities only know few details about it. 

[h3]History[/h3]
TBA

[/hider]